3 indicted in Jeremiah Oliver case

WORCESTER -- Three people charged with lying to investigators and a grand jury about the Jeremiah Oliver case were indicted Friday in Worcester Superior Court.

Christian Sierra, 21 of Fitchburg, and Ashley Cormier, 24, of Fitchburg, were indicted on charges of perjury and intimidation of a witness, according to Worcester District Attorney spokesman Timothy Connolly.

The third suspect, Caily Thibault, 23, of Fitchburg, was indicted on one count of perjury and two counts of intimidation of a witness, Connolly said.

Jeremiah Oliver was last seen by family in September 2013 but was not reported missing until December 2013, when his older sister confided in school officials that her mother's boyfriend, Alberto Sierra, had been abusing her and her brothers as well as her mother, Elsa Oliver.

Jeremiah's body was found April 18 wrapped in a blanket by the side of Interstate 190 in Sterling.

According to court documents, on Dec. 16, in front of the grand jury, Christian Sierra denied having any contact with his brother after he left his apartment Dec. 13. However, court documents allege the two exchanged 10 phone calls in the hour and a half after he left.

Cormier was reportedly with Elsa Oliver for the majority of the day Dec. 13, the same day she was also questioned in court. Cormier claims she never made any phone calls during their time in court, but her phone records show that between 9 a.m. and noon, she made several phone calls, including five to Alberto Sierra.

Advertisement

Authorities allege that Cormier became confrontational with officials from the state Department of Children and Families when they attempted to speak to Elsa Oliver at her home that same day.

The workers felt they "were in physical danger," according to court documents.

Court documents also show that a witness told police that Thibault allegedly threatened Elsa Oliver with violence Dec. 13 to ensure she would go to court.

Elsa Oliver, Cormier, Thibault and both Sierra brothers supposedly met together the morning of Dec. 13 at Cumberland Farms in the Cleghorn Neighborhood of Fitchburg after Elsa Oliver's court appearance.

Thibault told police she made no phone calls Dec. 13, but secret video footage shows her using a cellphone that once belonged to her deceased father. She failed to tell the grand jury she used the phone, according to court documents.

All charges brought before the three in Fitchburg District Court will be dropped now that they have been indicted. All three are on pretrial probation.

Arraignment dates for Christian Sierra, Cormier and Thibault have not been scheduled yet, Connolly said.

Alberto Sierra has been charged with multiple accounts of assault and battery on a child causing bodily injury and multiple counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Oliver has been charged with being an accessory after the fact to the attack and reckless endangerment of a child.

Welcome to your discussion forum: Sign in with a Disqus account or your social networking account for your comment to be posted immediately, provided it meets the guidelines. (READ HOW.)
Comments made here are the sole responsibility of the person posting them; these comments do not reflect the opinion of The Sentinel and Enterprise. So keep it civil.